AUSTRALIAN-BRED, More Than Ready galloper Better Be The Onewill return to Dubai next month’s Group 2 Al Quoz Sprinter (1200m) in career best form after overcoming a wide run to win in Singapore last Sunday.
The son of More Than Ready who raced in Australia as Common Interestand won the Listed VRC Festival of Racing Stakes (1000m) topped off his Middle East preparations with an impressive first-up win having not started since taking out the SG3 Saas Fee Stakes (1400m) in October.
Better Be The One is trained in Singapore by Michael Freedman who has quickly risen to become one of Singapore’s leading trainers.
Better Be The one was his fourth winner on the card and gave Freedman both a sense of confidence and relief.
“We knew he was in great form but I was still concerned by the outside draw and there would be plenty of pace on his inside,” Freedman said.
“I told (jockey Tan Wei Li) he was on the best horse in the race and not to panic if he is caught wide early. Just find a spot where you can give him a breather and use his natural turn of foot to let him come home.
“He was a little down in confidence as he took a bit of flak for some of his rides last weekend. I think the earlier race he won with us (Winontop) proved to be a good thing for him as he gave him (Better Be The One) a very good ride.
“He’s all set to go to Dubai on the 4th of February. I have two 1000m races in mind for him in the third week of February and then he will go for the Al Quoz Sprint. I am sticking to this race as his form back home in Australia has always been better on the straight course. I still haven’t decided who will ride him in Dubai.”
Better Be The One finished third in last year’s Al Quoz betean just 0.2-lens by South African idol J.J. The Jet Plane and War Artist.
Better Be The One’s continuing heroics is another example of More Than Ready’s ability to sire horses that train on,” says Vinery’s Conor Phelan.
“He was a very good two-year-old in Australia but he has certainly come on in leaps and bounds and is now set to represent both Singapore and Australia in one of the world’s most important and prestigious sprint races.”